Architectural metallic meshes are generally used in commercial and business environments to provide elegant wall panels, doors and other surfaces whenever an aesthetic appearance of polish and prestige are of primary importance. Architectural mesh is also an excellent choice for high contact areas, such as the interior walls of elevator cabs, escalator walls, and sales and reception areas, because it is generally scratch, dent and corrosion resistant. As such, architectural metallic mesh maintains a stunning appearance with minimal maintenance.
Woven into panels from brass, stainless steel, copper, and/or other desired metals or alloys, architectural mesh offers a richness of texture, pattern and color that cannot be duplicated by any other material. Architectural mesh can also be polished, finished and combined with different background colors to create a custom look and configuration.
Depending upon the chosen weave, the interstices or apertures between the weft or fill wires and the warp wires may allow light to pass through the architectural mesh. Alternatively, if the weave is tight and the wires are more closely adjacent to one another, the passage of light through the mesh will be selectively prevented. Accordingly, as the requirement for incorporating energy savings into building design increases, and hence the need for architecturally acceptable sun shading or screening, architectural mesh offers a variety of options that can meet the shading needs while still maintaining architectural requirements.
One type of hanging system for mounting architectural mesh to building exteriors comprises a hanger assembly including a hanger tube having a plurality of openings; an architectural mesh panel having an uppermost edge defined by a plurality of loops, wherein said plurality of loops are positioned within said plurality of openings in said hanger tube; and a retaining rod which is disposed through said plurality of loops within an interior of said hanger tube, thereby preventing said plurality of loops from displacement out of said plurality of opening and securing the architectural mesh panel in position. This type of hanger bar assembly is described more fully in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/265,211, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.
A further type of hanging system for mounting architectural mesh to building exteriors comprises a plurality of tube hanger brackets supporting a tube, preferably a rectangular box tube, having a predetermined length suitable for the width of the architectural mesh panel. A plurality of hanger plates are disposed about the periphery of the box tube, each hanger plate having a plurality of sprocket teeth extending from a surface thereof so as to engage the architectural mesh. The architectural mesh is wrapped from the upper surface of the hanger plate around the plurality of plate sprocket teeth and then extends vertically down. At the upper surface of the hanger plate, an opening is provided for receiving a retainer rod. Thus, the retainer rod extends through each hanger plate and engages a loop of the mesh forming the architectural panel. A retainer pin disposed on each terminal end of the box tube further secures the mesh against horizontal movement. Moreover, because the mesh material is wrapped around the hanger plate and the box tube, these supporting elements are substantially hidden from view when the architectural panel is installed in the desired application; thus not detracting from the aesthetic appeal of the architectural panel. This type of hanger assembly is described more fully in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/235,086, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.
The architectural mesh utilized in the above systems has an inherent spring rate, and thus additional springs are generally not necessary. That is, when an average wind load of up to approximately 70 mph sustained winds is applied to the architectural mesh panel, tension is generated in the mesh which can then be absorbed by the inherent spring rate of the mesh itself.
A need exists, however, for an architectural mesh panel which can handle extreme wind loads and associated airborne debris such as occurs in hurricanes and tornados. Additionally, there is a need for architectural mesh panels which can reduce the shock and/or impact loads from explosions and their associated shrapnel. One manner to accomplish this task would be to develop heavier architectural mesh panels with higher spring rates, and then provide heavy duty mounting systems and attachment mechanisms as described above. However, this type of heavy duty architectural mesh panel and hanging system would be cost prohibitive to manufacture and difficult to install due to the additional weight.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an economical system for reliably and conveniently mounting an architectural mesh product which can withstand extreme loads to a building exterior, without detracting from the aesthetic appearance of the building.